by Nadia Ramoutar  MMM Communications Coordinator          Ireland           01.01.2023

Of all the months of the year, January probably has the least popular reputation. December offers us the joy of Christmas and the fun of the New Year with all the celebration, rich food, friends and families gathering from far and wide. Right after it, January appears as a sobering reminder of the excess of eating, drinking and spending too much.

Without fail, January starts and people list resolutions which statistically won’t last until Valentine’s day.

In some parts of the world, January can be a dreary and cold time and in some parts of the world it is not. It is in most culture’s though it is the start of the calendar New Year. It is a month that symbolises beginnings and new starts.

So how can we get the most out of January? When we look around and see where is the joy in January?

After many years of trying to understand human nature better, I can actually see that the thing that helps most people is to get out of thinking mode and get into action mode. People need to actually take action steps to feel better. No matter how much we think about improving our life we will not get a benefit until we actually do something.

Joy comes in experiences and often the sadness of January requires us to face new choices. Mindfully strolling into January with a focus can help us find joy and also spread joy.

For many years I have wanted to write a novel but I kept saying “I don’t have the time.” So I realised that the novel was not going to write itself. I took two important steps: I joined a writer’s group and I started getting up earlier to write before my usual daily tasks began.

Believe it or not, pages started to turn into chapters.

I really wanted to get fit but I was struggling to do so. I went to the doctor and found out I had things wrong with me that were delaying my progress. I realised I needed to move more and eat less of certain foods and more of others. I know you are thinking, you didn’t need a doctor to tell you that! I did know it but I was not DOING IT. I increased my daily steps, stopped eating food that hurt my progress and I started to see a major difference as days turned to month.

So, joy is created in ordinary habits. The ones we create and the ones we allow. If we want to see joy in our life then we need to accept our ability to create it.

Let’s keep things moving! We are launching our MMM Steps for Hope charity walk that invites you to increase your steps during Lent. If you want more movement in your life and to raise money for a good cause, please think about joining us. The link with more information is here:

HTTPS://WWW.IDONATE.IE/EVENT/STEPSFORHOPE2023